title: Effects of quinoa hull meal on piglet performance and intestinal epithelial physiology.
abstract: Saponin-containing feed additives have shown positive effects on pig performance. Quinoa hull has high saponin content and may be of interest as a feed additive. This study aimed to evaluate quinoa hull meal (QHM) as a feed additive in a pig diet. The effects of QHM were assessed for three dosages of South American (SA) origin (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg) and one dosage of Danish (DK) quinoa (300 mg/kg). In addition, the effect of dietary SA-QHM and SA-QHM-extract on jejunal epithelial physiology was studied ex vivo in Ussing chambers. The experiment included 400 piglets weaned at 28 ± 2 days of age and the experimental period was 4 weeks. Piglets were weighed initially and finally and feed intake registered. The ex vivo studies were performed with epithelium from 40 pigs receiving control or SA-QHM. Epithelium from each pig was placed into eight Ussing chambers, where four concentrations of SA-QHM-extract were added. Epithelial permeability, Na(+)-dependent glucose transport and serotonin (5-HT) and theophylline-induced secretion were measured. The results showed that QHM had no influence on piglet's growth (p = 0.41) or feed intake (p = 0.17). In spite of a large difference in saponin content between SA-QHM and DK-QHM (28.7% and 2.0% w/w respectively) the source did not affect pig performance. The ex vivo studies revealed no effect (p > 0.05) of adding QHM-extract into the medium. The permeability and glucose induced absorption were highest (p = 0.003 and p = 0.04 respectively) in epithelium from pigs that consumed 100 or 300 mg/kg SA-QHM. The secretory response to 5-HT was not affected (p = 0.59) by dietary treatments, but the theophylline-induced secretion decreased (p = 0.02) with increasing dietary SA-QHM. The changes in epithelial physiology measured ex vivo did not affect animal performance in vivo in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark. dorthe.carlson@agrsci.dk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: S-E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D027465:Chenopodium quinoa / Q000737:chemistry*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000502:physiology; D012639:Seeds; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development*